- Title
- Histories of the several regiments and battalions from North Carolina, in the great war 1861-'65 [v.3]
-
-
- Date
- 1901
-
-
- Creator
- ["Clark, Walter, 1846-1924."]
-
- Place
- ["North Carolina, United States"]
-
Histories of the several regiments and battalions from North Carolina, in the great war 1861-'65 [v.3]
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l*’i I' TV-Seventh R kgtm ent.
423
that it was contemplated to make an attack upon the enemy’s
line before daylight and the writer was informed that ho
would command the force directed against Fort Steadman, a
part of the .enemy’s lino; and was directed to indicate two
regiments which he would choose to make the attack at this
point. He chose his own regiment, the Fifty-seventh, and
the gallant Sixth, one that had never flinched on any of the
many battlefields in which it, had borne a part from First
Manassas down to that eventful morning. It was then com¬
manded by Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate.
THE OBSTRUCTION REMOVED.
In front of Fort Steadman there was a chcvaux de /‘rise of
rails sharpened, stuck deep into the ground and pointing out¬
ward. These had been bound together by a strong wire. To
cut down this obstruction in front, of the advancing line vol¬
unteers were called for from the two regiments and were
quickly in readiness. At the writer’s request, Lieutenant-
Colonel Samuel McDowell Tate designated an officer of the
Sixth Regiment to command this apparently forlorn hope.
He chose for this service Lieutenant W. W. Flemming, of the
Sixth, a beardless boy not more than ID years old. It was
desperate work, and he knew it, but he was marvelously cool
and at parting the writer said to him :
“Tf you do this work this morning, and we both survive,
your rank will unquestionably be considerably advanced.”
lie replied :
“I do not say that I do not regard this, hut I assure you if
these men follow me, we will cut that abatis in your front.”
Then in the dead silence of the night he moved out with
his detachment armed with axes and they spread themselves
along the front of Fort Steadman, and the two regiments
moved out and lay down just behind this party. In the
meantime the obstructions in front of the Confederate line
had been stealthily removed. General Walker, who com¬
manded the division had notified us that the signal for the
assault, would be the firing of a pistol immediately in our
rear. There was a wait in perfect silence for perhaps 20
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